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Shaft sealant

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nugget:
I am lookin for advice on sealing some shafts. I have used polyureathane and spar varnish with good results.My question to you all is..... Will tung oil or something of that nature work ? I know it works on bows , so it should work on arrows .. right?
  All advice appreciated. I just tried some so i hope it works.
                                                                                   ???

Pat B:
I usually use Tru-Oil these days but have used pine pitch varnish. I make it by desolveing pine pitch in alcohol, strain it out and paint it on. When the alcohol evaporates the pitch is dry. I usually start with hard pitch that the turpentines have evaporated from.  You could also use bees way, melted and rubbed on.     Pat

nugget:
Thanks for the tips. I will look for true oil. I used tung oil by Formbys. I will try pine pitch too .

Pat B:
The Formsbys will eventually give you a good finish but in my experience  it is slow to cure. I have some pitch varnish made up and pitch we can make more this weekend.   Pat

davidneils:
A few years ago a bowhunting friend of mine showed me some shafts that were finished using Danish Watco oil. He made me a PVC pipe holder for the oil with a glued cap
at one end and a screw cap at the other. There is also an extension with a screw cap in the middle to add more oil if needed. To use it:

1. Purchase some brand new Watco Danish Oil or your oil of choice.

2. Sand a dozen shafts and prepare them to be soaked. Don't cut them to length before soaking.

3. Force the shafts into the oil and add enough oil to complete cover the shafts when the screw cap is secured.

4. Wait a week and let those shafts completely soak up the oil. They will be heavier which is really a plus for penetration. I typically get around 30 grains of added weight.

5. Now here's the best part. After you take the shafts out, wipe the excess oil off and let them dry for a day or two. Then weigh the shafts. Put the lighter ones back in the
oil for a few days and weigh again. With a little practice you can get a matched set of shafts that are within 5 -10 grains in weight....easily.

This system has several advantages to finishes that sit on the surface or barely penetrate the shaft. First, you have a shaft that can withstand abuse and nothing is going to flake off the surface of the shaft. Second, there is NO glare on these shafts. It's a wonderful matte finish.

Use Duco to glue on your nocks and feathers and Ferrel-Tite hot glue for the points.

I hope this helps.

David Neils
Fort Collins, Colorado

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